Does spot UV work on cotton or uncoated paper?

No. Use clear foil on cotton and raw uncoated stock. Spot UV goes over matte or soft-touch laminate.

Why can’t I see spot UV straight on?

It is a reflection rather than a colour, so it appears as the piece or light moves.

What gives the strongest contrast?

A matte or soft-touch laminated ground around a selective gloss mark.

Spot UV, and clear foil on uncoated stock

Spot UV is a clear varnish cured over selected artwork. It needs a sealed surface; on raw cotton or uncoated paper it soaks in and the contrast dies.

Start with the finish

See what spot uv, and clear foil on uncoated stock does with your own brief.

See yours in spot uv, and clear foil on uncoated stock →

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Flat spot UV gloss stripes catching the light on matte laminate.

Clear foil pressed into white cotton, a satin shine in the impression.

Spot UV bright on soft-touch and dull where it soaked into raw uncoated stock.

Macro of raised spot UV beads on navy soft-touch.

How it is made

The printed sheet is sealed first, usually with matte or soft-touch laminate, then clear varnish is registered over a separate vector separation and UV-cured. The mark has no colour of its own: it appears when it returns a different reflection from the ground. Spot UV is not used on cotton or raw uncoated stock: liquid enters the fibre and the gloss loses contrast. Use clear foil for a pressed satin shine on those sheets. Spot UV goes over matte or soft-touch laminate.

Gloss on matte is specular-only. Face-on it can disappear completely, which is the point: and why every photograph chooses one raking-light angle.

What the screen cannot show

A screen physically cannot show this finish. It is a reflection, not a colour, and every image on this page is light hitting a surface at one chosen angle.

Hold the finish in your hand: order the sample kit →

What it runs on

Substrate	Verdict	Why
Matte-laminated stock	Excellent	Selective gloss contrasts with the sealed matte film.
Soft-touch laminated stock	Excellent	Selective gloss contrasts with the smooth low-glare laminate.
Coated silk & matte stock	Good, tested	Add matte or soft-touch laminate first.
Gloss-laminated stock	No	Use matte or soft-touch laminate for contrast.
Uncoated & 100% cotton	No	No spot UV on cotton or raw uncoated paper. Use clear foil instead.
Colour-through (dyed) stock	No	Use clear foil on raw dyed stock.
Thick board, duplex & triplex	Good, tested	Only over a matte or soft-touch laminated outer face.

View the full compatibility grid →Unusual stock? Ask a specialist →

Minimums and specs

Required ground: Sealed / laminated
Artwork: Separate solid vector
Cotton / uncoated: No; Clear foil instead
Best contrast: Matte or soft-touch

Choose the process by the outcome

Pressed satin shine on cotton: Clear foil in the same shape.
Flat shine on laminate: Flat spot UV.
More tactile height: Raised spot UV.

Pairs well with

Soft-touch laminate

Soft touch is a thin, uniform laminate bonded over a printed sheet. The drag is tactile, but the surface stays visually smooth: never fuzzy, flocked or textile-like.

Coated and uncoated papers →Paper library →Foil library →Spot ink library →Browse matching inspiration →Spot UV business cards →

Seen in

Soundtoys

The deboss wanted one paper. The neon edge wanted the other.

Read the project

Common questions

Does spot UV work on cotton or uncoated paper?: No. Use clear foil on cotton and raw uncoated stock. Spot UV goes over matte or soft-touch laminate.
Why can’t I see spot UV straight on?: It is a reflection rather than a colour, so it appears as the piece or light moves.
What gives the strongest contrast?: A matte or soft-touch laminated ground around a selective gloss mark.